Shoe shining machine



Dec. 25, 1962 o. M. DYER, JR 3,069,712

sHoE SHINING MACHINE J Uffa M Dyer, Jr.

38 INVENTOR.

Dec. 25, 1962 o. M. DYER, JR

SHOE SHINING MACHINE 2 Sheets-shew*l 2.

Filed Feb. 16. 1961 ...Hngen n,... 4.1.23

Olio M. Dyer, Jr.

INVENTOR.

9 BY WWW 5MM United States Patent C SHE SHINING MACHINE tto M. Dyer,Jr., 1 Lafayette Plaisance, Apt. 1205, Detroit 7, Mich. Filed Feb. 16,1961, Ser. No. 89,726 6 Claims. (Cl. 15-97) This invention relates topolishing devices, and more particularly to a device for shining andpolishing shoes.

Briey, the invention comprises a foot rest for a shoe with two slottedupstanding guide tubes mounted on each side of the shoe support. Mountedslidably in each guide member is an elongated flexible spring havinghooks thereon which extend through slots in the rigid guide members. Theupper ends of the springs have handles fixed thereto and the hooks areconnected by polishing rags extending over the shoe support. When thehandles are manually reciprocated, the springs in turn reciprocate thehooks which move the polishing cloths back and forth for polishing theshoe.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a shoeshiner that is so constructed that the operator thereof will be able toacquire a good shoe shine without bending or soiling his hands.

It is another object of the invention to provide a shoe shiner that maybe operated with a minimum of effort and with maximum comfort.

It is another object of the invention ot provide a shoe Shiner devicethat is not only manually operated, but is also adapted to be operatedby power means if so desired.

It is another object or" the invention to provide a shoe shining devicethat is simple in design, economical to manufacture, and durable andreliable in use. l

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 shows a plan view of this invention;

FIGURE 2 shows` a front elevational View of the invention.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional View taken substantially on theplane of line 4-4 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the plane ofline 5 5 of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged view taken substantially on the plane of line6-6 in FIGURE l.

Referring to the drawings, it can be seen that the shoe shine device ismounted on a rectangular base board 10. Spaced several inches above thebase board 10 and lying in a plane parallel thereto, is a foot rest 12secured thereto by means of vertically extending spaced parallel legs 14and 16. As shown in FIGURE l, the board 12 for supporting the shoe 18 isshaped substantially like the sole of a shoe, however, the toe portionof the board is cut off so as to form a blunt end 20.

Secured to the base board 10 are two guide tubes 22 and 24. Each guidetube is substantially identical, and each comprises a verticallyextending portion 26 connected to the end of a horizontally extendingJ-shaped portion 28. The other end of the J-shaped portion 28 isconnected to a vertically extending portion 3G which is parallel to theportion 26, and the upper end of the vertically extending portion 30 isconnected to a horizontally extending portion 32. All of the portions ofeach guide tube are formed integrally by bending one piece of tubularmaterial such as stock metal tubing. For clarification, the variousportions of the members 22 and 24 are given the same reference numerals,however, the reference numerals for the portion 24 have a prime addedthereto.

3,059,712 Patented Dec. 25, 1962 rice The tubular guides 22 and 24 aremirror images of one another except for the fact that the rear portion28 of the member 22 has a slight hump 34 formed therein so as to permitit to pass over the portion 28.

The J-shaped portions 28 and 28 of the guide tubes are secured to thebase board 10 by means of clamps 36, 36', 38 and 38. Each of the clampshas an arcuate portion fitting over the top surface of the tubularguides and an integral ange formed therewith. Each flange has anaperture therein with a screw extending therethrough and into the base10 for removably securing the clamps and guide tubes to the base board.As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the clamps 3S and 3S have a plurality ofspaced arcuate recesses 40 and 40 formed therein. By loosening theclamps 38 and 38', 4the portions 28 and 28 may be selectively receivedin any one of the plurality of recesses 40 and 40 for adjusting thespacing between the guide tube so as to tit shoes of varying sizes.

Slidably tting within each hollow guide tube is an elongated coil springmember 42. Each of the spring members 42 extend to the'lower ends of theguide tubes to the lower ends of the vertical portions 26 when thesprings are fully inserted into the guide tubes. Fixed to' and projectfrom the upper end a substantial distance such as one foot. 4Forstiffening the upper ends of the coil springs 42, a solid rod 44 isinserted therein and secured thereto. The solid rod members 44 extendalmost the upper ends of the springs 42 and stifening rods 44 areoperating handles 46. The springs and. rods extend a substantialdistance into bores 48 in the lower central p0rtion of the handles.

Each of the vertical portions 26 of the guide tubes has an elongatedvertically extending slot 50 Within its inner surface. The slots 50extend from the base 10 to an inch or so above the shoe board 12.Slidably mounted within each slot 50 is a hook 52 which has a threadedshank 54 screwed through the spring 42 and into the stiiening rod 44.

The horizontally extending portions 32 of the guide:

tubes also have elongated slots 56 extending throughout the lengths ofthe portion 32. These slots 56 rece-ive hooks 58 which are identical tothe hooks S2. The threadedrshanks of the hooks 58 extend intocylindrical blocks 60 which are secured to the ends of the springmembers 42. To prevent the hooks 58 and blocks 60 from being ejectedfrom the ends of the portions 32, radial pins or screws 62 may beinserted radially through the ends of the guide tubes as shown in FIGURE6.

For polishing the rear or heel portion of the shoe 18, a polishing cloth64 has its ends hooked onto the hooks 58, 58 and its middle portionloops around the rear portion of the shoe to be polished.

The central portion of the polishing cloth 64 may be supported by atapered or tooth pick like liexible member 66 which has its lower end 68secured within the rear end of the base 10 as shown in FIGURE 3. Theupper end of the member 66 may be secured to the cloth 64 by anyconventional means, such as inserting the upper pointed end of themember 66 into a hern or fold in the polishing cloth.

A second elongated polishing cloth 70 has its opposite end portionsconnected to the hooks 52 and 52' as shown in FIGURES 3 and 2.

To operate the shoe polishing device, the shoe to be polished is placedon the shoe board 12 with the toe of the shoe extending beyond the bluntend 20 and beneath the polishing cloth 70. The back end of the shoe ispushed tightly against the polishing cloth 64 so that it snugly envelopsthe rear portion of the shoe. The operator then grasps the handle 46 inhis left hand and the handle 46 in his right hand and alternatelyreciprocates the handles in opposite directions. This causes the hooks52 and 52 to reciprocate in opposite directions thereby moving the cloth70 so as to polish the toe of the-shoe, and it further causes the hooks58 and 58' to reciprocate in a horizontal plane in opposite directionsso as to move the cloth 64 back and forth over the rear portion of theshoe. The flexible member 66 being composed of a very resilient materialsuch as rubber or flexible plastic, freely permits the cloth 64 to moveback and forth over the rear of the shoe. Since the handles 46 and 46'normally extend about to a point just below the operators waist, it canbe seen that he can operate the shoe polishing device without stoopingor bending and without soiling his hands or touching the shoes. Thispermits substantially the entire shoe to be polished in a very shorttime with a minimum of effort.

When the polishing cloths 76 and 64 become worn, they can be replacedvery easily and rapidly.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modilications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A device for shining shoes comprising a support for a shoe, guidemeans fixed to said support on each side thereof, force transmittingmeans extending through each of said guide means and vertically upward,operating means connected to the upper ends of said force transmittingmeans, exible polishing means connected to and between the lower ends ofsaid force transmitting means, said force transmitting meansbeingadapted to transmit tensile forces to said polishing means forkeeping it taut and moving it over the shoe, said guide means comprisingrigid elongated tubes and said force transmitting means comprisingelongated flexible members, said tubes having vertically extendingportions with vertically extending slots therein, a fastening meansconnected to each of said force transmitting means and extending througheach of said slots in a manner so as to allow substantial relativemovement between said force transmitting means, said polishing meansincluding a lrst member connected to said fastening means and adapted toContact and polish the toe of said shoe.

2. A device as recited in claim l wherein said polishing means comprisesa cloth.

3. A device for shining shoes comprising a support for a shoe, guidemeans xed to said support on each side thereof, force transmitting meansextending through each of said guide means and vertically upward,operating means connected to the upper ends of said force transmittingmeans, flexible polishing means connected to and between the lowerends'of said force transmitting means,

said force transmitting means being adapted to transmit tensile forcesto said polishing means for keeping it taut and moving it over the shoe,said guide means comprising rigid elongated tubes and said forcetransmitting means comprising elongated flexible members, the upper endsof said flexible members extending beyond said tubes, said ends beingstiifened and connected to handles, said tubes having verticallyextending portions with vertically extending slots therein, a fasteningmeans connected to each of said force transmitting means and extendingthrough each of said slots in a manner so as to allow substantialrelative movement between said force transmitting means, said polishingmeans including a.

rst member connected to said fastening means and adapted to contact andpolish the toe of said shoe.

4. A device for shining shoes comprising a support for a shoe, guidemeans xed to said support on each side thereof, force transmitting meansextending through each of said guide means and vertically upward,operating means connected to the upper ends of said force transmittingmeans, exible polishing means connected to and between the lower ends ofsaid force transmitting means, said force transmitting means beingadapted to transmit tensile forces to said polishing means for keepingit taut and moving it over the shoe, said guide means comprising rigidelongated tubes and said force transmitting means comprising elongatedflexible members, said tubes having vertically extending portions withvertically extending slots therein, a fastening means connected to eachof said force transmitting means and extending through each of saidslots in a manner so as to allow substantial relative movement betweensaid force transmitting means, said polishing means including a rstmember connected to said fastening means and adapted to contact andpolish the toe of said shoe, said tubes having horizontally extendingportions adjacent said support with horizontally extending slotstherein, second fastening means connected to the lower ends of saidforce transmitting means and extending through said second slots, saidpolishing means including a second member connected between said secondfastening means and adapted to polish the back of said shoe.

5. A"device as recited in claim 4 wherein the central portion of saidsecond member is exible and is supported by a generally resilientmember.

6. A device as recited in claim 5 wherein said resilient member and shoesupport are mounted on a base board.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,168,409 Mitterreiter Jan. 18, 1916 1,330,665 Vogt Feb. l0, 19202,140,056 Piro Dec. 13, 1938`

